Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
A SIGHT FOR SHORE EYES..
Cruise ship refit hailed as major boost for economy
BELFAST’S shipping industry was on the crest of a wave as a cruise liner docked for a multi-million pound refit yesterday.
The Azamara Pursuit sailed into Harland and Wolff shipyards where it will be berthed for four months while undergoing an internal renovation.
The project is being managed by Co Down-based marine fitout specialist MJM Group.
Chairman Brian Mcconville hopes the Azamara Pursuit is the first of many liners to undergo a revamp in the city.
He said: “I am already working on potentially trying to secure the next couple of ships to come to Belfast.
“This is a very historical day for Northern Ireland, the fact we have taken this ship back – this will hopefully rekindle the start of many great ships and shipping lines to come in here and get such contracts done in the future.”
Harland and Wolff director Jonathan Guest welcomed the arrival of the liner claimed it is
“a great boon for the economy”.
He added:
“It’s the first time a largescale refit has been carried out in Northern
Ireland and
I think that’s hugely significant.
“Harland and
Wolff has a great history of cruise ships and cruise ship building but not so much in the refit side. “We hope this is a new chapter in the development of Harland and Wolff along with MJM in bringing cruise ship refits to Belfast.”
The luxury liner, which had sailed from the Bahamas, is managed by Azamara Club Cruises, a global brand of Royal Caribbean Cruise Ltd. MJM will direct a team of 800 workers during the most intense phases of the refit.
The 600-plus crew that will staff the ship once the project is complete will be assembled and trained in Belfast prior to its departure at the end of July. Azamara Club Cruises’ Richard Twynam said it was unprecedented to hand an entire refit project to one firm. He added: “It’s never been done before.
“We are effectively making MJM from Newry an extension of our new build team for Royal Caribbean, so it’s really exciting.”